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3 Diamond-Alternative Engagement Rings to Consider

Although diamonds are the typical stone used for engagement rings, not everyone can afford them. At the same time, not all women like diamonds and prefer something a bit different. With those things in mind, here are three alternatives to diamond engagement rings when you want to take that huge step and propose to the love of your life.

While cubic zirconia and other manmade diamonds tend to be frowned upon due to being synthetic and cheap in price compared with the real thing, they are an excellent alternative. If you simply don’t have a lot of money to throw around on a diamond engagement ring, there are plenty of beautiful moissanite rings you can consider. Moissanite is a crystal that is similar to diamonds in terms of hardness and sparkle. It was discovered in the late 1800s and is produced in laboratories and sold for mere fractions of the price tags of genuine diamonds. You can purchase a beautiful and nearly perfect moissanite engagement ring for around $1,000 or less for a single carat.

Sapphires are beautiful and are usually thought of as only being available in blue, but they actually also come in white, pink and yellow, just to name a few colors. Sapphires rank as the third-hardest mineral and are considerably less expensive than a diamond. Although a white sapphire is not as sparkly as a genuine diamond, it certainly looks just as good. Since it is also far cheaper, you can get a larger stone if your intended prefers it. A blue sapphire, the most well-known color of the stone, can make for an exceptional engagement ring and can even serve as the bride’s “something blue” on your wedding day.

Opal is a lovely alternative to a diamond engagement ring. It is also a much more unique stone and is available in a variety of colors, although white is generally the most popular. You can also buy a ring of opal with a cluster of the gems, which catch the light and reflect rainbows for an added appeal. Additionally, no two opals are alike, which means your future bride will have a highly unique engagement ring if you choose this type of gemstone.

Of course, there are plenty more diamond-alternative engagement rings out there, but these are a few of the nicest options available. The key to choosing the right one is to know exactly what your fiancee enjoys as well as her personality so that the gem reflects her.